5: Giedo Van Der Garde and Charles Pic

The Caterham duo are included together for one simple reason - their car.

Charles Pic had an under-rated debut season in Formula 1. He ran Timo Glock, an experienced and quick driver, close during the second half of his season with Marussia.

While van der Garde may not be a ground-breaking driver, it's probably unfair to say he's been disappointing this year; his rookie season.

That adjective can be used on the team and the car, though.

That's what has restricted these drivers too, once again, only making up the numbers, and led to the team recalling Heikki Kovalainen to try and get to the bottom of their issues.

At the back of the grid, it's crucial to demonstrate ability that will see other teams inclined to give you another shot.

Jules Bianchi is doing that at Marussia, just as Pic did last season. Max Chilton could very well join the Caterham duo in missing out, but he has financial clout that, it could be said, these two can't match.

The Marussia boys will probably be safe. The circumstances surrounding Pic and van der Garde means that one, or maybe both, of their careers may well be on the line.

3: Felipe Massa

Paul Gilham/Getty ImagesFelipe Massa's had an up-and-down season at Ferrari

Not a summer has gone by in recent years without Felipe Massa’s seat being called into question.

That’s down to his erratic form since his accident in Hungary, in 2009. Massa remains adamant he suffers no long-term effects from the crash; if we are to believe him, it’s just a striking coincidence.

Nonetheless, his patchy form would be a problem for most teams. That he drives for Ferrari, and is supposed to be the rear gunner for the best driver on the grid, means his poor form is suddenly an even more serious problem.

There have been flashes from Massa to more than suggest he still has it in him. But Ferrari’s patience has been wearing thin.

They like the Brazilian, but with a restless Alonso in the number one seat, surely they’d rather act now and replace him rather than run the risk of him being the lead driver should Alonso up and leave?

My choice in replacement would be Nico Hülkenburg; reality suggests he is too good to go somewhere to be a No. 2.

Where would his, or any driver’s, arrival leave Massa? Likely out of F1.

He has a lot of baggage, and F1 isn’t the same place as it was a few years ago. You don’t fall out of a big team and drag your feet to the midfield like you could before .

2: Jean-Eric Vergne

Make no mistake, Jean-Éric Vergne is a highly talented young racing driver.

The trouble is, Jaime Alguersuari has potential. And so too does Sebastien Buemi. And, if you end up on the Red Bull scrapheap, it’s easy for F1 to forget.

So, disregarding the potential the Frenchman has; disregarding the rumour he has a faster time on the Red Bull simulator than Sebastian Vettel himself – Vergne is a man whose time in F1 may be at an end if he doesn’t up his game.

His qualifying performances are not, by and large, good enough and he is far too susceptible to car issues and problematic weekends.

He’s suffered his fair share of misfortune but he’s also been the architect of his own downfall on some occasions, too.

He must prove himself against Daniel Ricciardo; prove that with an extra year he can refine those rough edges. This is a must if he is to remain with Scuderia Toro Rosso for an unprecedented third season.

In all likelihood, he’s probably not going to slot in immediately elsewhere.